Journalist James Hunter was deeply unimpressed with referee Jeremy Simpson in Sunderland’s 5-1 loss at home to Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.
The Lowdown: Bad day for Black Cats
The Black Cats welcomed their Championship opponents to the Stadium of Light on Saturday, in what was another key game in their promotion push.
It proved to be a woeful day at the office for Tony Mowbray’s side, however, with Stoke taking the lead through Josh Laurent during the first half, before pulling well clear after the break.
It was a result that could ultimately prove damaging come may and it was an afternoon in which frustration boiled over both on and off the pitch.
The Latest: Hunter fumes at referee
Taking to Twitter, Hunter was quick to reveal what he thought of Simpson’s performance on Saturday:
Granted, referees do have a difficult job on their hands and they are only human, but this was another unacceptably poor performance by an official.
So many of Simpson’s decisions left supporters scratching their heads, including one moment when he allowed Stoke to play out from the back after a head injury, as well as blowing for half-time when Sunderland had possession in a dangerous area.
Refereeing standards in the Championship are not strong at the moment, and while Mowbray’s men deserve criticism for their performance, Simpson should also be under the spotlight.
David Moyes can ease the pressure on him at West Ham with a win against AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League this evening.
The Scottish manager could be on the brink at the London Stadium following last weekend’s comprehensive defeat against Brighton, with the Hammers only just outside the relegation spots in the Premier League.
The one salvation for the 59-year-old in a woeful season has been West Ham’s form in the Conference League, with six wins out of six in the group stages securing their spot in the knockout stages.
A European final doesn’t look out of the question for the Hammers given their relative stature to the other teams in the competitions, and a win should be considered a must against Thursday’s Cypriot hosts.
What will West Ham’s starting XI be vs Larnaca?
Here is how Football FanCast thinks Moyes will line his side up tonight, with five changes from the team that started against Brighton on Saturday.
With Lukasz Fabianski still sidelined after fracturing an eye socket, Alphonse Areola looks likely to continue in between the sticks.
There are two changes in defence, as Aaron Cresswell returns at left-back in place of Emerson, while Kurt Zouma also makes his first start after recovering from injury, having returned from the subs bench against Brighton, partnering Angelo Ogbonna in the heart of the defence.
Although he has enjoyed a recent upturn in form, Tomas Soucek should be rested for this one, with Flynn Downes replacing the £65k-per-week “machine” – as dubbed by Darren Randolph – in the middle of the park alongside Declan Rice.
Pablo Fornals will also be eyeing a start tonight after hitting two goals in the group stages, so he replaces Lucas Paqueta, with Said Benrahama featuring in an attacking-midfield role and Jarrod Bowen on the right-wing.
Finally, Divin Mubama deserves a start after his sparkling 20-goal haul for the academy sides, so he starts in place of Danny Ings in the attack, on a night when the Hammers really should have too much for their Cypriot opposition.
Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are trying to get to the end of the season with Antonio Conte before looking to replace him.
The Lowdown: Conte looks destined to leave
Even prior to Spurs crashing out of the Champions League, it was being reported that Conte staying with Tottenham beyond the end of this season was looking incredibly unlikely.
However, following the last three results in particular, Conte now looks destined to leave Spurs, with replacements already being mooted in the media, as former boss Mauricio Pochettino is among the Italian’s potential successor.
According to Jones, however, Daniel Levy is keen for a reunion with the man he sacked back in 2019, but not everyone inside the club is entirely convinced that going back to Pochettino – who didn’t win anything as boss – would be a good idea.
The Latest: Pochettino not wanted by everyone at Spurs
Jones has been speaking on the Chasing Green Arrows YouTube channel about how Spurs are trying to finish the season with Conte while seemingly already having an eye on installing his replacement.
He said: “Spurs are trying to see this out for as long as possible. There’s a few things to bear in mind as Tottenham look for a new manager.
“It costs £5m to get rid of Conte in the first place, Conte’s just been through serious surgery – it doesn’t look great on them to sack him the week after he’s come back from recovering from serious surgery.
“They don’t have an obvious replacement set up to come in. Pochettino is the favourite to come in, that’s because Daniel Levy really wants Pochettino; there are other people in the club not so sure that’s a great idea.”
The Verdict: Spurs may be best to avoid Pochettino
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that some don’t want Pochettino to return as he didn’t bring about any material success to Spurs (much like most managers in recent times) and hasn’t gone on to prove himself as an elite manager since leaving.
Pochettino even failed to win what many see as a one-team division out in France in the 2020/21 campaign, which may have seen his stock drop, but the fact that they’ve gone for proven winners such as Conte and Jose Mourinho since his initial departure, Pochettino may not be the worst choice in the world.
The main positive for bringing back Pochettino is that he still lives relatively close to the club and would be able to make an instant connection with top players including Harry Kane – which could yet convince him to extend his stay at the club.
Manchester United cruised into the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday night after dispatching Real Betis across two legs.
The Red Devils ran out as 5-1 victors on aggregate against the La Liga side and capped off the tie with a 1-0 victory away from home on Thursday.
Erik ten Hag’s men are now set to play against Sevilla in the next round of the European competition as they aim to add a second trophy of the season to their cabinet.
However, not all United players were praised for their displays out in Spain, with summer signing Malacia receiving some criticism after the game.
The 23-year-old played the entire 90 minutes in Seville and recorded two tackles, but was dribbled past on three occasions (via Sofascore).
On top of this, the Dutchman may feel fortunate to have not received a yellow card having given away four fouls during the game.
Having also lost possession 11 times and failed to provide a single cross, some took to Twitter to vent their frustrations – and the best reactions can be seen below…
Liverpool could potentially complete the signing of Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes this summer, according to an update from journalist Ryan Taylor.
The Lowdown: Nunes linked with Liverpool move
The Reds have suffered a disastrous season for so many reasons, with injuries again proving to be a big issue and key players struggling for both form and confidence.
It is the midfield that has arguably been Liverpool’s biggest shortcoming, however, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson looking shadows of their former selves and the likes of Thiago, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain unavailable too often.
Meanwhile, teenager duo Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott are still learning their trade, so relying on them to perform week in, week out simply isn’t fair.
Major midfielder reinforcements are needed at Liverpool this summer and Nunes is one of the names who has emerged as a potential target to bring in.
The 24-year-old only joined Wolves last summer and he has been a key figure, starting 22 Premier League games and averaging 1.8 tackles per game.
The Latest: New update emerges
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor talked up Liverpool’s potential signing of Nunes this summer:
“I think he’s highly rated by Liverpool because they were scouting him during his time at Sporting. Interestingly, I don’t think Nunes is that highly rated by Lopetegui.
“He’s not always in the team, he usually is, but he’s not played every week like Neves or Moutinho. I thought at the start of the season that Nunes would come into a league of his own at Wolves and be the heir to Neves.
“They are slightly different players, but I think there is scope for a deal to be done there.”
The Verdict: Really strong option
It is clear that Liverpool need to sign at least three new midfielders this summer, in order to bring a freshness in that area, and Nunes could be a really shrewd addition.
Granted, the 11-cap Portugal international perhaps wouldn’t be a game-changing signing in the way a Jude Bellingham could be, but he would bring the legs that are missing with Fabinho and Henderson these days, being just 24, as well as technical quality on the ball.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola once called Nunes ‘one of the best players in the world today’, which is extremely high praise, and at 24, he could be a key part of Liverpool’s midfield for years to come.
Prising him away from Wolves so quickly may not be easy, with a hefty fee potentially required to get him, but he could find another gear under Jurgen Klopp and help turn the Reds’ fortunes around.
Injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has said he’d ‘be surprised’ if Leeds United full-back Stuart Dallas returned from injury before the end of the current campaign.
The Lowdown: Three operations
Dallas has now been out of action for 11 months after suffering a serious injury against Manchester City at Elland Road last April. The Northern Irishman suffered a femoral fracture following a collision with Jack Grealish and had surgery in London shortly after.
Since then, the 31-year-old has had two more operations, with the first being to help limit the sensation in his knee and the latest a small clean-up surgery.
Leeds correspondent Phil Hay said at the beginning of the month that ‘it sounds like he’s going in the right direction’ with the aim ‘always to be back before the end of the season’, but it looks as if that may be asking a lot of the versatile fan favourite.
The Latest: Brar’s comments
Brar was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding Dallas and a possible return before the season is out. The injury expert said he had a ‘rare’ injury for footballers and admitted he’d ‘be surprised’ if he returned, claiming it would be a lot to ask.
“He had a rare femoral fracture (rare for footballers) and then a follow-up procedure in January as well to help clean up the area.
“I’d be surprised if he returned this season because he will return to relatively high-intensity games with Leeds looking to avoid the drop and that is a lot to ask for after missing the entire season.”
The Verdict: Right call
Dallas has been a key man for Leeds over a number of years, helping them return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa. He won three honours following the club’s first season back in the top flight, turning out in a number of different positions.
However, it is only a year on from his very serious injury, so it could be the right decision to look to integrate Dallas back into the side in the summer instead of pushing for a return before the end of May.
He may need time to get fully back up to speed, and with Leeds involved in a battle to avoid the drop, placing the pressure on Dallas to perform to the high standards straightaway could be extremely unfair.
Hopefully, we will see Dallas return to the form that made him a regular for Leeds prior to his injury in the Premier League next season, provided the club remain in the top flight.
Tottenham Hotspur have left many around the game baffled by their decision to stick with Fabio Paratici following the latest announcement on his ban.
Will Spurs appeal Paratici's ban?
The Italian director of football was told on Wednesday that his ban from Italian football had been extended to worldwide football with immediate effect.
Spurs relayed the news on Wednesday evening with a statement of their own defending their decision to upload an interview with the Italian to their social media platforms the night before.
But what was evident from the statement was that the club were not parting ways with the 50-year-old just yet despite his ban preventing him from doing his job.
Speaking on TalkSport, Alex Crook has claimed many around the game have been left stunned by Tottenham's decision to stick with Paratici as they decide whether or not to appeal the updated ban:
"I mentioned already that he can't get involved in any managerial appointment. I think he can still do some menial day-to-day tasks at Tottenham.
"The big question I would have [is]… is Paratici worth all this hassle? Has he done a good enough job for Spurs that's actually worth fighting to keep in the first place?
"I know a lot of people in the game away from Spurs, at other Premier League clubs, they're amazed, they're astonished even that Paratici didn't go out the door when Conte did."
Is Paratici worth the hassle?
Tottenham appointed Paratici back in 2021 with the idea of him leading their pursuit of finding their permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho.
And what he produced was arguably one of the worst managerial appointments in the club's history with Nuno Espirito Santo being awarded the job.
Since his arrival, Spurs have spent significantly but have not exactly reaped the full rewards with many of their additions under Paratici failing to impress.
Daniel Levy watches on form the stands as Tottenham Hotspur capitulate in the Premier League against Southampton.
Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur have all earned themselves a regular spot in the Tottenham XI since signing.
However, the 2022 summer transfer window has proven nothing short of a huge disappointment.
There is an argument for the best signing of the summer window being their free, backup goalkeeper in Fraser Forster which is a damning indictment of the poor work carried out by the Italian.
When the Juventus members were found guilty on the same counts as Paratici back in November, they all resigned, whereas, Paratici has remained in power at Spurs.
And now, instead of parting ways with the 50-year-old Spurs are seemingly working out what their options are despite having months since the original ban was announced to plan for this scenario.
Given the club are being labelled as a 'circus' by some at the moment, this does not feel like a good look for the club and there is certainly an argument that he has not proven worth fighting for over his time in north London.
West Ham United were outclassed by Newcastle United on Wednesday night, with the Toon's 5-1 win at the London Stadium serving as a stark reminder that the Hammers simply aren't too good to be relegated this season.
There is no doubt that the margin of victory was elevated due to horrific mistakes by Nayef Aguerd and Lukasz Fabianski but the overall performance from West Ham was far from good enough, with the strikers in David Moyes' system continuing to struggle.
After Danny Ings' anonymous display against former side Southampton, completing just seven passes, the Scottish manager opted to start Michail Antonio but the Jamaica international endured a similarly disappointing night.
How did Antonio play against Newcastle?
As per Sofascore, the 33-year-old forward would earn a 6.5/10 rating, despite barely being involved in the game at the London Stadium.
During his 63 minutes on the pitch, the former Nottingham Forest man would manage just 26 touches of the ball, which was fewer than Fabianski, who had 31.
Antonio didn't contribute anything on the rare occasions that he was involved, as he completed just three passes from 11 attempted, leaving him with a shocking success rate of only 27%.
His average in the Premier League this season has not been good, as it stands at 8.5 passes per game with a success rate of 53.5%, but this was a new level of mediocrity against Newcastle.
It seems clear that whoever plays up front in Moyes' 4-2-3-1 system is left completely isolated and cannot contribute effectively to the build-up, which is perhaps exactly why summer flop Gianluca Scamacca was brought to the London Stadium in 2022.
Antonio has been a great servant to West Ham and has his place in the record books after becoming their record Premier League goalscorer but after a return of no shots on target and no key passes it seems clear that he won't be the man to keep the Hammers up this term.
David Moyes watches on as West Ham United face AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League.
Unfortunately, it seems as if Moyes still has faith in the experienced forward, as, despite interest from other Premier League sides, and his comments against the Scottish manager's tactics in January, which were deemed "disrespectful" by Frank McAvennie, he remained at the London Stadium.
Antonio said: "You can see over the last few games, we've conceded more goals on counter-attacks than we ever had in the last two years. We're open, way more expansive.
"Teams are countering us the way we would have countered them before. It's a transition. We're trying to transition to become a bigger team and, I've got to be honest, it ain't working."
Antonio's comments may be accurate but to speak out against a manager's tactics in a public light is not something that should have been tolerated by Moyes. Therefore, after another shocking display against Newcastle, his decision to keep him in January is now backfiring.
Tottenham Hotspur have "definitely" considered appointing Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.
What's the latest Spurs manager news?
Spurs, according to reliable reports, are after a young, progressive manager to replace Antonio Conte after the Italian left by mutual consent in March. Indeed, the likes of Burnley boss Vincent Kompany and Julian Nagelsmann, a free agent after leaving Bayern Munich, are thought to be on their radar.
Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, who is chasing his first league title in the Dutch Eredivisie, is another coach attracting Tottenham's interest, with the 44-year-old also nearly winning a Europa Conference League title last season.
It appears links to the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, who is no longer viewed as a top candidate to take the reins, have died down somewhat, while the same could be said of ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique – despite him allegedly travelling for Spurs talks last week.
Ruben Amorim managing Sporting
The search for Tottenham's next manager is still well and truly underway as chairman Daniel Levy faces a crunch decision. He'll hopefully avoid an embarrassing repeat of his 72-day search for a new head coach in 2021.
Now, as per reliable reporter Gold, it appears the Premier League side have considered an array of talented young coaches to succeed Conte.
Indeed, alongside the likes of Kompany and Nagelsmann, it is believed Tottenham have 'definitely' looked at hiring Sporting's Amorim.
The 38-year-old, who is already 'close' with defender Pedro Porro from their time in Portugal together, is apparently among the exciting coaches who have caught Spurs' eye.
Gold explained (via his football.london Q&A):
"Amorim is definitely a younger manager who has been considered, along with Vincent Kompany, who Spurs' head of coaching methodology Simon Davies knows well and will be pushing the claims of."
Should Spurs move for Amorim?
The tactician has proved highly successful in the Primeira Liga, winning five trophies overall across spells at current club Sporting and SC Braga.
The 3-4-3 boss' CV is arguably quite impressive at such a young age, with Spurs journalists also being very aware of his potential.
For instance, Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic called Amorim "the most exciting young manager in European football" before the coach geared up his Sporting side to face Manchester City in the Champions League.
The likes of Kompany, Nagelsmann and Amorim being targets clearly highlight Levy's desire to appoint managers with a lot of potential.
Amorim has a £17.6m release clause in his contract which drops to £13m this summer (The Guardian), but whether Levy finds that price worthy of paying is contestable.
Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele this summer and the Frenchman could form a dream duo with international teammate Christopher Nkunku at Stamford Bridge.
Could Chelsea sign Dembele?
Calcio Mercato reported last month that both Chelsea and Newcastle United could bid for the former Borussia Dortmund man in the summer transfer window after they were alerted to his £44m release clause at the Nou Camp.
Chelsea were heavily linked with signing the pacy winger in the summer of 2022 but were dealt a blow when he agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Catalan side.
Despite him producing some impressive performances in Xavi's side so far this campaign as they look destined to win the La Liga title, Barcelona's financial difficulties suggest that a summer move could still be on the cards a month after those initial reports.
How has Dembele performed at Barcelona this season?
Dembele has arguably never lived up to his price tag with Barcelona having joined the club in an eye-watering deal worth £96.8m back in 2017, as the Spanish giants sought a replacement for the outgoing Neymar.
It was easy to see why Barcelona wanted to sign the 20-year-old France international, given he had contributed ten goals and 22 assists in just 50 appearances for Dortmund, but injuries and poor form have plagued his six years at the Nou Camp.
Now 25, the electric wide man, who was tied as the fastest man in the Champions League earlier this season alongside January signing Mykhailo Mudryk, has notched 40 goals and 41 assists in 178 matches for Blaugrana, but his best performances have arguably come in the last two campaigns.
After re-establishing himself as a regular under Xavi, Dembele popped up with an impressive one goal and 13 assists in just 21 La Liga appearances last season, earning a superb 7.46 average rating from WhoScored.
This season has seen the ambidextrous winger hit five goals and five assists in just 18 league outings, with a 7.23 rating from WhoScored, which is better than anyone in Chelsea's squad, emphasising the quality and attacking output he could offer at Stamford Bridge.
Spanish football expert Terry Gibson lauded Dembele in an interview with the Daily Mail ahead of France's World Cup quarter-final tie against England in December, claiming that "Dembele can be just as effective as Mbappe. He can be unplayable at times."
Could Dembele form a partnership with Nkunku at Chelsea?
Chelsea have already confirmed the summer addition of RB Leipzig sensation Christopher Nkunku, and given the Frenchman's impressive speed and goalscoring record, the Blues could easily find themselves with two world-class wing options at Stamford Bridge next season.
Future Chelsea signingChristopher Nkunku
The former PSG man can play anywhere in the attack and is as equally adept at creating chances as he is at putting them away, with 64 goals and 52 assists to his name in his time with the Bundesliga outfit.
This season alone, he has scored 17, suggesting that with Dembele's creativity, they could be quite the duo in west London.
The prospect of having two potentially world-class wingers in Nkunku and Dembele would surely help to solve Chelsea's woes in front of goal, so Todd Boehly should definitely be looking at signing the Barcelona star this summer.